Hi there,
For those who read this thread, we decided on Daniel Island! We've been here for a few weeks now. We stayed on Isle of Palms for a month before our house was ready and really enjoyed being a few houses from the beach. The beaches are amazing here.
We checked out Wilmington and we were underwhelmed. To be fair, we checked it out over Labor Day weekend and the beach was a zoo. It kind of reminded me of Ocean City, NJ - with crowds of people, sewer pipes over the beach, etc. It didn't compare to the beautiful beaches of SC. I'm sure it's less crowded on other weekends but it was a turn off. The middle school was located behind a strip of car dealerships - again, a turn off. Funny - I talked to my friend in CT about Wilmington and she ended up moving there! Yes - the state college system is better - but that was about it. Not my cup of tea.
We love Daniel Island and Mt Pleasant. There are so many shops, restaurants - but the best thing is the beach. We also found a great church that we like (SeaCoast). We ended up in Smythe Park (by the DI elementary and middle school) and like it. Our four kids walk or bike to school. We got a nearly brand new home, over 4000 sq. feet for the same price that we paid for half that size and very dated home in CA. Everything is half price (except for food and gas): the kids sports are less than half price, housing, and most services are much cheaper. It has reduced our monthly budget by a lot. The kids have a lot of freedom - ride their bikes to their friends homes, to the park, to downtown DI - it's just what we were hoping for and more. The downtown DI area is good - but seems to have a lot of shops that have closed recently.
The only downside of Daniel Island is that it isn't as centrally located as Mt. Pleasant (but it's only 10 minutes to Mt. Pleasant and 15-20 min. to the beach and doesn't feel that remote) - and it's not in Charleston County so kids can't go to the Charleston School of the Arts (or the Academic magnet), or the mega Wando High School. They are building a new high school and middle school in nearby Clement's Ferry (pending the passage of a referendum in a few days) - but the high school will be very small to begin with (400 students). Bishop England High School seems like a good school and isn't pricey ($7k/yr) compared to CA private schools.
We are very happy with our decision. Now - if only our 13 year old daughter - who seriously pines for her friends back in CA, felt the same way. She feels that the girls here are much less mature than her friends in CA (which is why we moved here! LOL).
It's a much slower pace of life here - somewhat less infrastructure....but the big difference vs. Marin County CA is the cost of living and the less self-centered attitude.
Deb
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Originally Posted by IADtoSYR
Hi there,
I have been following your Daniel Island vs. Wilmington threads for quite some time. I am just curious where you decided.  We are most likely moving to Wilmington this summer, although Charleston was our #1 choice, as we found a few public schools that looked much above par for SC. My hope is that you chose Daniel Island...that area is just incredible. The ONLY saving grace for Wilmington for US is Masonborough Island and NC's state college system is much better that SC's. Good luck with your decision!! |
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Impressions of Wilmington
We chose Daniel Island (over Wilmington, NC)
